Corn, On Deck Hybrid

Short Description

The first-ever sweet corn you can grow in a container.

Full Description

And now on deck sweet corn! Ever so tasty breakthrough bicolor variety is perfectly sized-4-5' tall-to spend the summer on your deck, patio, or terrace, adding vertical interest as well as producing two to three delicious 7-8" long ears per stalk. This first-ever container-ready corn is a revolution-one you can enjoy from the comfort of your patio. Simply plant 9 seeds per 24" container and get ready to harvest in about 2 months! Supersweet (Sh2). For best germination results, make sure that soil temperature is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit prior to planting.

Type
Some flowers and vegetables fall into subcategories that may define how they grow (such as pole or bush), what they are used for (such as slicing tomatoes or shelling peas), flower type, or other designations that will help you select the type of a class of plant that you are looking for.

SH2

Days To Maturity
The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.

61-63 days

Fruit Size
The average size of the fruit produced by this product.

7-8 inches

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Start IndoorsStart Indoors
Starting seeds indoors is called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds indoors in the spring or summer

TransplantTransplant
When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for spring

Start OutdoorsStart Outdoors
Starting seeds outdoors is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the spring or summer

Start Indoors FallStart Indoors Fall
Starting seeds indoors in the fall called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fall

Transplant FallTransplant Fall
Transplant Fall-When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for fall

Start Outdoors FallStart Outdoors Fall
Starting seeds outdoors in the fall is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fall

SS
Succession Planting
This means that the plants have multiple harvests in a season

First Date: May-02 - Last Date: Jun-13

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Mar

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May

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Growing information

How to Sow

Growing corn is easy provided you have enough space and plenty of sun. Corn is wind-pollinated, so you need to plant in blocks to ensure pollination. You should have a minimum 10 foot by 10 foot area. The exception to this rule is ‘On Deck’ corn, which has been bred to grow in containers. If you are growing ‘On Deck’, choose a container that is at least 24 inches wide and deep and plant nine seeds evenly spaced.

Corn is classified as Sh2, SE, SU, or SY. These refer to the sweetness and how long the corn may be stored. Sh2 is is supersweet, lasts 4-6 days in the refrigerator and is more challenging to sow in cool soils; SE is sugar-enhanced and lasts over a week in the refrigerator; SU is normal sugary, more cool soil tolerant but with a shorter shelf life; SY combines SE and Sh2 traits. Isolate Sh2 corn varieties from others by planting seeds at least 250 feet apart, or select varieties that mature at least 2 weeks apart, so they will not cross pollinate.

When choosing a site for corn, plant on the north side of your garden so the tall plants do not shade other plants in your vegetable garden.

Corn is a warm season crop and should not be planted in cool soils. The non Sh2 varieties tend to be more tolerant of cool soils, but in general the soil should be about 65 degrees F or warmer.

How to Grow

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.

Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote uninterrupted growth. Corn needs 1-2 inches of rain per week for best production. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. Corn is also a heavy feeder and will benefit from side dressings of fertilizer applied as directed through the growing season.

Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.

Suckers tend to form at the base of the plants; they help support the stalks and make food for the plant. The stalks may have to be staked in windy areas, but in general they are self-supporting.

Sunflowers are good companion plant for corn. Direct sow sunflowers in rows parallel to corn rows to help separate corn varieties that need isolation from each other. Choose sunflower varieties of comparable height to the corn plantings. The sunflower border, with vibrant hues in russets to golden-yellow, will add sparkle next to the almost all-green corn plot. The ‘Three Sisters’ (corn, bean and squash) are traditional companion plantings with Native American gardeners.

Harvest and Preserving Tips

Ears of corn are ready to harvest about 17-20 days after the silks appear. The kernels should be firm. Open an ear and pierce a kernel with your fingernail. If the liquid is watery, the corn is not ripe yet. It should be milky. If it is creamy, it is overripe and will not taste as sweet.

Firmly grip the ear and twist downward to harvest. Take care not to break the plant when harvesting the first ear, or the second ear will not develop. Most corn produces two ears.

Store unhusked corn in the fridge and consume as soon as possible. Sh2 and SE varieties keep the longest in the fridge, up to one week.

Corn freezes well after blanching and may also be canned using a pressure cooker. Immature ears may be pickled.

Product Details

Type

SH2

Days To Maturity

61-63 days

Fruit Size

7-8 inches

Sun

Full Sun

Spread

12-18 inches

Height

48-60 inches

Sow Method

Direct Sow

Planting Time

Spring

Sow Time

After Last Frost

Thin

6 inches

Reviews

Corn, On Deck Hybrid is rated
2.9 out of
5 by
289.

Rated 1 out of
5 by
DisneyWitch from
WEAKEven with constant care and proper nutrition these plants were short and weak, produced less than adequate corn. I would not recommend this item or purchase it again.

Date published: 2017-11-30

Rated 1 out of
5 by
jana 22 from
Needs workThese sends do not germinate well. I got 2 8 inch high plants this time. Not buying again.

Date published: 2017-10-13

Rated 2 out of
5 by
SBridges8 from
only got one corn ear, but will try next yearWe only got 1 ear of corn to grow. Its was very good but I going to try again next year.

Date published: 2017-10-13

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Lizzy7364 from
Bad SeedsPurchased one pack of the corn seeds. I split the pack into thirds and planted one-third in a container, planted the second-third about ten days later in another container and planted the last third in the ground. Out of all of the entire packet, only about six sprouted resulting in one ear of corn which never matured. Very disappointing. I will not recommend these seeds and have not purchased any more seeds from Burpee.

Date published: 2017-10-13

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Milt from
ONE GOOD CROP, ONE BAD CROPIn the spring I planted half the packet of seeds, and it seemed every seed grew into a beautiful corn, with an average of two ears on each stalk, all of which were delicious.
Then in July I planted the remaining seeds, and only three actually came up, although I did everything the same way as I did early in the year. The ears on the stalks that did come up never matured.
So, I was totally pleased with the first planting and disappointed with the second.

Date published: 2017-10-13

Rated 2 out of
5 by
glen123 from
Had good luck last year - not so this yearThis was the second year that we tried to grow corn in containers. Last year, I put 2 seeds per "hole" with the intent of culling one if necessary. However, all seeds took hold and we had a bumper crop. While crowded in the containers, the corn flourished and we had a lot of sweet, delicious corn. Unfortunately, we were only able to harvest about 2/3 of what we planted due to squirrels (who did their damage in less than one day). This year we replenished the soil in the containers but put one seed per "hole" (freshly bought this year) given our past experience, Out of 20 plantings, we only got 8 stalks that emerged and only one was worth harvesting. Even at that the size of the husk was half size. I don't know what happened that was different. The containers were in the same location. I had planned to move them to a safer location (from squirrels) when the husks got larger but it never progressed to that point. I used fresh seeds each year and my watering routine was consistent. I also have a 20 by 20 vegetable garden which has been consistently productive so I am not a newbie when it comes to gardening. I am retired so I am out in my garden on a daily basis. I plan to try next year and this time will also make some room in the vegetable garden in addition to the containers. Hopefully, we will have better results next year.

Date published: 2017-10-13

Rated 5 out of
5 by
RozC from
Great tasting cornI picked my first ear this year. It was so sweet and tender. My corn did exceptionally well this year. Going to plant some for my daughter in law next year

Date published: 2017-08-30

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Cristin from
So easy to grow!This is my first try at growing corn and I couldn't believe how easy it was, multiple ears of corn on each stalk and other than the pesky racoons digging some up when they were small, we had a great crop.